Family, friends share tears, laughter and memories at funeral

Published: Monday, June 24, 2013 at 9:17 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, June 24, 2013 at 9:17 p.m.

A dark cloud crept over Mud Creek Baptist Church Monday afternoon without shedding a drop. Inside, however, a wash of tears fell from the cheeks of hundreds of loved ones gathered to remember the life of Tre Carter.

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Carter, 19, drowned June 17 while swimming with friends in Lake Summit.

“His body went down, but his spirit went up” and he was welcomed into heaven with open arms, said Darrell Ellis Sr., the officiating pastor at Carter's funeral.

Inside his open casket, Carter cradled a football in his left hand. A slight smile was on his face.

Friends, wearing green — Carter's favorite color — to celebrate his life, remembered how he loved football and said his “million-dollar smile” brightened every day. They lingered by his casket during a sad, slow procession.

“I remember one night we were playing Erwin and ... he got tattooed” — slammed hard by the defense of the other team, said North Henderson High running back coach Dave Mains.

The facemask of Carter's helmet was pushed far back on his head.

“He had his mouthpiece in and I went over there looking for (signs of) a concussion,” Mains said. “He was fooling around in his mouth and he couldn't feel his teeth. Well, his mouthpiece was still in. He said, ‘Coach, did they knock out my teeth?'”

Tears gave way to laughter.

“At the time, I wasn't thinking about it, but you know, it would have been a shame if they had messed up that beautiful smile,” he said.

Carter led the Knights football team in rushing and scored 12 touchdowns his senior year in 2012. He was named to the All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference. On the field, North coaches had special signals for Carter's plays.

Mains said that when he saw those calls, he knew “it was about to be on.”

Former North Henderson football coach Doug Justice said Carter was a force to be reckoned with on the field, but the impacts he made in life extended far beyond the end zone.

“He was always very kind,” Justice said. “He loved to make people laugh and smile.”

He recalled a time when the team was taken to an elementary school in the county to read to students. Carter read to a kindergarten class... or at least he tried. Justice said Carter had a hard time getting through the book because the students were crawling all over him.

Carter was laughing the entire time, Justice said.

Assistant football coach Chad Inman recalled the first conversation he ever had with Carter: “‘Hey coach!' Carter said. ‘Are you ready for practice?' Inman asked him. ‘No,' Carter said. ‘Why not?' Inman asked. ‘I don't like practice. When's the first game?' ‘In four weeks,' Inman replied. ‘I'll see you in four weeks.'”

Friends and coaches laugh when remembering Carter's great sense of humor. Inman said the best stories he has about Carter, though, are from the times when he would pick Carter up for practice and the teen would talk “about his love for God” and his family.

“The people in this room are a testament to the love of Jesus he had for you all,” Inman said.

Ellis, Carter's pastor at Anointed Word International Church in Arden, said Carter rededicated his life to the Lord weeks before he drowned. He was active in the church's youth group and read the Bible often.

His coaches, friends, family members and pastors agreed that they can find comfort in knowing they will see him again.

“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me...” Ellis read from Psalm 23:4.

When death comes to claim one of our own, it casts a shadow, and that shadow can be awful dark, he said, adding that life is precious and can be taken without a moment's notice. “This is one of the lowest valleys you'll ever go through... I want you to know you're just going through the valley... it doesn't say this is a permanent thing.”

Carter's mother, Sharon Edgerton, and then his father, Morris Carter, lifted up by loved ones, came to their son's side for one last kiss before his coffin was closed. The football was handed to his mother.

<p>A dark cloud crept over Mud Creek Baptist Church Monday afternoon without shedding a drop. Inside, however, a wash of tears fell from the cheeks of hundreds of loved ones gathered to remember the life of Tre Carter.</p><p>Carter, 19, drowned June 17 while swimming with friends in Lake Summit. </p><p>“His body went down, but his spirit went up” and he was welcomed into heaven with open arms, said Darrell Ellis Sr., the officiating pastor at Carter's funeral.</p><p>Inside his open casket, Carter cradled a football in his left hand. A slight smile was on his face. </p><p>Friends, wearing green — Carter's favorite color — to celebrate his life, remembered how he loved football and said his “million-dollar smile” brightened every day. They lingered by his casket during a sad, slow procession.</p><p>“I remember one night we were playing Erwin and ... he got tattooed” — slammed hard by the defense of the other team, said North Henderson High running back coach Dave Mains. </p><p>The facemask of Carter's helmet was pushed far back on his head. </p><p>“He had his mouthpiece in and I went over there looking for (signs of) a concussion,” Mains said. “He was fooling around in his mouth and he couldn't feel his teeth. Well, his mouthpiece was still in. He said, 'Coach, did they knock out my teeth?'”</p><p>Tears gave way to laughter. </p><p>“At the time, I wasn't thinking about it, but you know, it would have been a shame if they had messed up that beautiful smile,” he said.</p><p>Carter led the Knights football team in rushing and scored 12 touchdowns his senior year in 2012. He was named to the All-Western North Carolina Athletic Conference. On the field, North coaches had special signals for Carter's plays. </p><p>Mains said that when he saw those calls, he knew “it was about to be on.”</p><p>Former North Henderson football coach Doug Justice said Carter was a force to be reckoned with on the field, but the impacts he made in life extended far beyond the end zone.</p><p>“He was always very kind,” Justice said. “He loved to make people laugh and smile.”</p><p>He recalled a time when the team was taken to an elementary school in the county to read to students. Carter read to a kindergarten class... or at least he tried. Justice said Carter had a hard time getting through the book because the students were crawling all over him. </p><p>Carter was laughing the entire time, Justice said.</p><p>Assistant football coach Chad Inman recalled the first conversation he ever had with Carter: “'Hey coach!' Carter said. 'Are you ready for practice?' Inman asked him. 'No,' Carter said. 'Why not?' Inman asked. 'I don't like practice. When's the first game?' 'In four weeks,' Inman replied. 'I'll see you in four weeks.'”</p><p>Friends and coaches laugh when remembering Carter's great sense of humor. Inman said the best stories he has about Carter, though, are from the times when he would pick Carter up for practice and the teen would talk “about his love for God” and his family.</p><p>“The people in this room are a testament to the love of Jesus he had for you all,” Inman said. </p><p>Ellis, Carter's pastor at Anointed Word International Church in Arden, said Carter rededicated his life to the Lord weeks before he drowned. He was active in the church's youth group and read the Bible often. </p><p>His coaches, friends, family members and pastors agreed that they can find comfort in knowing they will see him again. </p><p>“Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me...” Ellis read from Psalm 23:4. </p><p>When death comes to claim one of our own, it casts a shadow, and that shadow can be awful dark, he said, adding that life is precious and can be taken without a moment's notice. “This is one of the lowest valleys you'll ever go through... I want you to know you're just going through the valley... it doesn't say this is a permanent thing.”</p><p>Carter's mother, Sharon Edgerton, and then his father, Morris Carter, lifted up by loved ones, came to their son's side for one last kiss before his coffin was closed. The football was handed to his mother.</p><p>Reach Weaver at emily.weaver@blueridgenow.com or 828-694-7867.</p>